Hi @karen4,
Thank you for this beautiful reflection. I wanted to add Gerald Borchert’s comments in his notes on the passage in the New American Commentary:
Those who have lived primarily in western world settings, where the shepherding of flocks is normally done by driving sheep with dogs, may find it hard to envisage the intimacy of the biblical shepherd passages. There the shepherd is pictured as having a personal attachment to the sheep, and the sheep are portrayed as recognizing the shepherd’s voice and responding accordingly. Having taught in Israel, two illustrations have become seared in my memory concerning eastern shepherds and their sheep.
Of the two pictures, one is that of a shepherd leading his sheep through the city of Jerusalem just outside the Jaffa Gate. Cars were whizzing by while the shepherd sang and gently whistled to his sheep, and they dutifully followed him despite all of the bustling traffic nearby. The other picture is that of an early morning with the Bedouins when the shepherds began to lead their sheep out of the sheepfold, which contained the combined flocks of four shepherds. As each shepherd took his turn and began to sing and call his sheep, they dutifully separated from the larger flock and began to follow him to the hills for their daylight feeding (cf. 10:3–4). Such contemporary pictures of the intimate relationship between shepherd and sheep can provide us with the framework of thinking about the great shepherd texts of the Bible: the beloved shepherd psalm (Ps 23), the parable of the lost sheep (Matt 18:12–14; Luke 15:3–7), the compassion statements of Jesus (Matt 9:36; Mark 6:34), the Old Testament texts likening God to a shepherd (Jer 23; Ezek 34;), and particularly here in this fascinating shepherd mashal.
You might also enjoy this conversation about what “the good shepherd” means:
In the original context, this image that Jesus is our good shepherd is so beautiful: personal, intimate, connected, and caring. But also King and Warrior!
It reminds me of how the Beavers describe Aslan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:
“Is–is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion–the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he–quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Both in C.S. Lewis’ work and in the Gospel of John, we have these rich metaphors that communicate the beauty, grandeur, power, and goodness of God.
May we draw close to God in trusting faith!